How to become Mentor & Moderator?

[jignesh_mehta3]

Dear Friends,

I was just tracking the earlier post regarding how to become a Moderator, but there seem no definite answers...

Can someone please tell me answers to following:

1. How to become a Mentor in any one of SDN Forum?

2. How to become a Moderator in any one of the SDN Forum?

Thanks,

Jignesh Mehta

[former_member156446]

Atleast for the work I do , I do get recognition many people whom I deal daily are not aware of SDN (recruiters specially), So I was in conversation with Craig and asked for a badge for all the active members of SCN. which I felt is a good thought.

[Former Member]

Shall I respond here or via email? Or both?

Nevermind here you go:

We already give those badges however the process/system is changing and more information is coming soon.

Left hand navigation the "Contributor Corner" has a link to "Recognition FAQ"

Edited by: Craig Cmehil on Apr 9, 2009 5:47 PM

[jignesh_mehta3]

Dear Seniours & Experts,

Thank you all very much for your views...

Yes I think being a Mentor or Moderator in any forum is a way of giving back something to the community from which I have learnt so much...

Maybe someday I would also become either one...

Thanks again,

Jignesh Mehta

Mumbai, India.

[former_member184119]

Line of the day By Jignesh Really Awesome

>

> Yes I think being a Mentor or Moderator in any forum is a way of giving back something to the community from which I have learnt so much... 
> Jignesh Mehta
> Mumbai, India.

[Former Member]

I'll take a stab at this and just not think about the responses you've received to date.

First the thing to remember is that SAP Mentors are a completely different thing than SCN Moderators.

SAP Mentors are a very select group of individuals nominated across the entire SAP Ecosystem. They are thought leaders and innovators who push for change within SAP as well as the enterprise world. They have a "home" here within the walls of the SAP Community Network and many have also taken on a secondary role as "mentors" to the community and many within the community. SAP Mentors are highly recognized within the market and industry as well as their individual areas of expertise.

https://wiki.sdn.sap.com:443/wiki/display/SAPMentors

That link will provide you with more information on the official program as well as who they are.

Now as for the SCN Moderators, in the most basic of terms these are the "police" of the community. They work tirelessly to ensure a clean environment for all members. They help to enforce the Rules of Engagement as well as the Community guidelines and policies. However many of these Moderators are also "Community Influencers" and "Top Contributors" (see this link for more info: /people/community.user/blog/2009/03/27/sap-top-contributor-quarterly) and as such they often take on the additional roles of being thought leaders in the community and leaders in general for their topic areas.

Many of our moderators have also taken on the role of "mentor" to members in the community as well.

Now as to how one becomes a moderator (see here for a list of all moderators, right there at the bottom of the page you will see the 3 lists for blogs, wiki and forums: https://wiki.sdn.sap.com:443/wiki/display/Community/Our+Community) , OK again as to how to become one - since we have so many and many chose to stay behind the scenes and not get caught up in public confrontations we now normally base selection upon the recommendations of other moderators or in cases of new areas or areas that are in need of more we tend to look to the activities of those in that area and then make a judgment call based on how they handle themselves in the community and with other members.

[former_member184555]

Hi

I too have greatly benefitted from these forums and always feel proud to be a member of SCN. My intention is something different. I am not able to understand the reason...why people are crazy about becoming Mentors or Moderators. We can do service even without that tag also. As an example, whenever I feel that somebody is repeatedly violating the rules of engagement, I send a mail to their personal id, sincerely requesting them to follow the rules and I have seen change in them. I also send personal mails to people who tries to keep the forum in order, by advising members to follow the rules, not to ask for points etc.,...appreciating their services.

I would like to clarify that my intention is not to criticize anybody. I have great respect to each and every member of SCN.

Regards,

Ravi

[Lakshmipathi]

Dear Ravi

I know that you have been doing good job to the community and advising members not to deviate the rules and regulations which should definitely be appreciated. At the same time, your comments especially those which I had indicated above could have been put it in a different way as I feel it conveys some wrong meaning especially the second one and that is why I had to pinpoint that.

thanks again

G. Lakshmipathi

[former_member184555]

Why do you wish to become mentor or a moderator? It is like a part time job without any remuneration. I don't think it even gives you recognition. How many mentors or moderators can you list. Even active members also are not aware of most of the moderators and mentors in SCN and imagine about people who are not active in SCN. To do justice to that role, you should be able to spare some time regularly.

My observation says, Mentor and moderator are opposite roles. Mentors should have more patience to encourage members participation. They never recommend the members to search forum even for a basic question. Moderators should not have soft corner and if somebody violates the rules of engagement of this forum, they move the threads to other forums, lock the threads, guestify the members. If any thread is found inappropriate, they will move it to coffee corner by default.

[Former Member]

>

> My observation says, Mentor and moderator are opposite roles. Mentors should have more patience to encourage members participation.

Who you calling impatient? Huh?? Huh???

Rob

[jignesh_mehta3]

Dear Ravi,

Thanks for the information.

I dont take it as a part time job without recognization...

I think becoming Mentor or Moderator is all about contributing something to the Community from which I have learnt so much... The things that I have learnt from the community till date is the best possible remuneration...

Anyways, thanks again...

Jignesh Mehta

[Lakshmipathi]

1.  It is like a part time job without any remuneration. 

2.  I don't think it even gives you recognition.

=> If everybody expects to get remuneration for the service they are rendering all these years, then SDN would not have smelled the mantra "Success". Every human being should render service to society and in that way, I am happy that I could also contribute to some extent.

=> Sorry My Dear Ravi definitely I have a second opinion over this. From my personal experience itself, I can tell you that before coming to SAP, whatever efforts I put in with my employer were not recognised and top management was never bothered to look at individuals efforts.

But things have changed drastically once I joined as a member in SDN and started contributing everybody turned their heads and noticed my efforts. So in that way, I am proud to say that if some recognition has knocked my door, it is only because of this SDN forum.

thanks

G. Lakshmipathi

[matt]

>

> My observation says, Mentor and moderator are opposite roles. Mentors should have more patience to encourage members participation. They never recommend the members to search forum even for a basic question. Moderators should not have soft corner and if somebody violates the rules of engagement of this forum, they move the threads to other forums, lock the threads,  guestify the members. If any thread is found inappropriate, they will move it to coffee corner by default.

I disagree with you on this from both angles.

First, although not a SCN Mentor, I mentor and have mentored many juniors/freshers. It's a sometimes frustrating, but mainly rewarding task, that I'm glad to undertake. As a mentor though, I have zero patience for people who won't try to help themselves and expect answers to be spoonfed. I want those under my guidance to learn how to fish - not just give them a fish.

So mentoring involves not just helping with the specifics, but also guiding people in the techniques for solving problems themselves.

Now, moderating isn't all about enforcement - it's also about education.

With regards to easily searched, basic questions, if the person has clearly tried and still not got it, then I'll gladly help. But questions like "how do I convert dd/mm/yyyy to yyyymmdd", "how do I send external email from SAP", "how do I download a table to my PC" - these Frequently Asked Questions - no-one, never mind mentors should be responding. They should be reported to the moderators.

Now, with newbies, I, at least, strive to be gentle, by for example, sending them an email asking them to read the Rules of Engagement, and to try to search first. I even suggest what keywords to use. But if they've a few hundred posts, then they'll get a stern rejection. Even then, some people just don't pay attention. sigh On the other hand, some people manage to get a stay of execution by showing, and proving, a desire to change. One of our best contributors came very close to guestification in the early days, but "heaven has more joy over one sinner who repents...!".

My goal as a moderator is to keep the forums clean and useful. Not just as a place to ask questions and get answers, but also a searchable resource. Otherwise, we might as well just delete all questions older than a month!

matt

[Former Member]

There are some rules and regulations.

1. First you must not think of becoming one.

2. You must contribute in every way to SCN.

3. You must never violate any rule.

I think i provided you definite answer.

Hurry up start doing it .;-)

[bpawanchand]

Hurry up start doing it .;-)

@Jignesh Mehta

Offer valid till you disobey the rules hahahahahah

[former_member184657]

>

> I was just tracking the earlier post regarding how to become a Moderator, but there seem no definite answers... 

And you thought.. opening a new thread would fetch you definite answers?

pk